S.F. FILM FESTIVAL / South Korea's Earthy Lyricism Showcased

Peter Stack, Chronicle Staff Critic

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, April 12, 1998

South Korean films get major attention among Asian offerings at the 41st San Francisco International Film Festival. And it's about time -- the country's earthy cinematic tradition has too long been overlooked. The movies show a passion for directness mixed with haunting visual lyricism.

The earthiness in many of these films results in some vivid, unapologetic scenes of a sexual nature.

Veteran South Korean director Im Kwon-taek, noted for his spare style and realistic approach, has been named this year's recipient of the Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Film Directing. The ceremony will be at 6 p.m. May 3 at the Kabuki.

"Sopyonje" -- An elegiac story of a long-separated couple who grew up as itinerant pansori folksingers -- the form has been called the Korean blues. This film stirred a revival of the art. It is a beauty but will require some patience on the part of Westerners unfamiliar with Korean music. The lyrics are enchanting. 112 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.

6:45 p.m. April 28 and 1 p.m. April 30, Kabuki.

"Ticket" -- An intimate, grim look at four women working as prostitutes in a port town. Im does not duck social issues, and deals very directly with the subject of violence against women. The film is filled with a sense of emotional and economic desperation. 100 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.

1 p.m. April 25 and 7 p.m. May 1, Kabuki.

"Mandala" -- This is another one to keep an eye out for. It's a beautiful story about a monk who befriends a young man and whose Buddhist ideals are turned upside down. 117 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.

7 p.m. May 5, Kabuki.

"Surrogate Mother" -- This Im film is about a working-class woman in the 19th century who is chosen to bear a male heir for a rich couple. 95 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.

6 p.m. May 3, Kabuki.

"The Taebeck Mountains" -- This tragic epic looks at a small town swept into political turmoil in 1948-49, when communists set up local government in southern Korea. 168 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.

6 p.m. May 2, Kabuki.

Two new films from South Korea are competing for the festival's Skyy Prize, and both are strong:

"Green Fish" -- Lee Chang-Dong's story of a young man just out of military service drawn into gang life. The film is a grimly realistic look at the contemporary sprawl of suburban Seoul. It is a high-impact drama about gang violence and how it affects suburban life. 111 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.

9:45 p.m. May 2, PFA; 3:30 p.m. May 4 and 9:15 p.m. May 6, Kabuki.

"Motel Cactus" -- Another good one. Directed by Park Ki-Yong, this is a visually lush, voyeuristic study of the intimacies of motel patrons. It's steamy, but with an undercurrent of unfulfilled desire and loneliness. 91 minutes. In Korean with English subtitles.